Chapter Text
“What if we just… didn’t move?”
Shota and Izuku had taken a long time to get up that morning, having slept so deep their respective alarms barely managed to invade their consciousness.
Unfortunately, it was a Monday, which meant that after the alarms did in fact, serve their purpose, they had to scramble, nearly tripping over each other to get out of the apartment. Particularly to be on time to catch their train to UA for the ungodly early hour that teachers had to be there at.
Of course, right as they got to the door, Shota did trip on his own leg as it seized up in an onset stabbing pain.
He never made it to the ground though, as an instinct wired into Izuku’s soul after two years of dealing with this very scenario led to him being gracefully caught by his son, and manoeuvred to a seated position.
Which lead to the current conversation.
“I haven’t been late for a single shift at UA and I’m not about to start now.”
Izuku’s worried expression momentarily morphed into bewilderment. “Really? Not a single one? Wait, not the point, Dad-”
Shota bit the inside of his mouth in an effort to hide a pained expression as he pat Izuku’s head. “You’re hovering, problem child.”
Izuku gave him sad eyes, noticing the tightness in his voice and expression, but dutifully moved back to give him some space.
They stayed in place for a minute, Shota leant against the wall, sore leg splayed out in front of him, with Izuku sitting on his knees on a diagonal from his dad before Izuku suddenly blinked, and jumped to a standing position.
The little amounts of space in Shota’s brain that wasn’t dedicated to keeping his breathing even and leg comfy was spent on wondering what Izuku was up to now.
He let the confusion take more space in his brain as Izuku rounded the corner to the hallway, and- according to the sounds he could hear- began rummaging through the bathroom cabinets?
Izuku made a triumphant sound and ran back to Shota, grinning brightly and triumphantly holding out a packet of standard painkillers. “We can use these again!”
Shota blinked in realisation. Oh, yeah. The pain was already subsiding by now, but Shota still shot Izuku a grateful smile and took the proffered tablet.
After another minute or so of sitting there waiting for the pain to wane further, Shota let Izuku help him back into a standing position, and patiently waited for Izuku to finish his assessment of Shota’s condition, long knowing it was futile to object.
“Have you been having these bigger bursts of pain since we came back or just the manageable sized ones like you did at one of the meetings?” Izuku asked with a frown.
Shota grimaced slightly. “This is the second bigger one.” He admitted. “But,” He cut in before Izuku could express any more worry, “my recovery time has been quicker and quicker in general for any phantom pain. I think whatever part of me that has the scars from losing my leg is adapting to having it back again.”
Izuku hesitated before deflating. “If you’re sure.”
Shota nodded and ruffled Izuku’s hair again. “I am.”
“Now…” Shota began gravely, immediately gaining Izuku’s attention. “We need to run to the train.” And suddenly he bolted out the door.
Izuku’s jaw dropped. He stood there dumbly for a moment, uncomprehending before his brain rebooted. “DAD! YOU JUST RECOVERED!”
He stepped out of the apartment before looking back.
“ALSO THE DOOR IS STILL UNLOCKED-”
~~~~~~
Against all odds, Shota and Izuku found themselves on the correct train right on time.
Izuku glared at his dad, who looked away with a guiltless expression.
“I’m telling Auntie Nemuri and Uncle Hizashi.”
Shota whipped his head back to face Izuku. “You wouldn’t-”
~~~~~~
Luckily for Izuku’s continued sanity, the journey went without any more escapades on his dad’s part. The man was apparently a flight risk when at risk of being late.
Well, it wasn’t new information thanks to Mic’s and Kurakumo’s stories, but it was the first time Izuku had seen it for himself.
He digressed, and put the exasperation and slight worry out of his mind. He got to spend the morning in the company of his dad, so he let the lightness in his chest that came from that take over.
By the time UA was in sight, Izuku had a pep in his step, and matched his dad’s naturally faster pace. He also couldn’t help himself and took his dad’s hand, swinging it between them in a child-like manner.
He didn’t need to look at the man to know that there was a smile under his capture weapon, but he did look because knowing that something he did caused his dad to smile made him very happy.
It was then that Izuku finally brought up a slight change.
“You have your hair tied back?”
With his free hand, Izuku’s dad grabbed a loose strand of hair in front of his face, left free from the loose, low-lying ponytail and peered at it.
He let the strand go, and swung their conjoined hands a bit more in the space between them. “Yeah.” He hummed. “It’s nothing much but I might do this more often.”
Izuku smiled. His dad didn’t say anything further, but Izuku understood there was a bit more to it. Anyone could tell the man didn’t care so much for his appearance, but after coming back to the past, it had been clear to those who knew them just how much Izuku, and more obviously so, Shota, had changed.
Izuku decided that he liked his dad’s decision to acknowledge it with a little alteration to his physical appearance.
He considered his own for a moment. How had he changed? For Dad it was becoming obvious in retrospect just how soft the man had become. For Izuku… Well, he was still young but he was undeniably older.
The death of everyone you knew would do that to someone, and living in the aftermath of it came with its own lessons in finding a sort of inner peace beyond what you would normally associate with mentally and emotionally tumultuous teenagers.
Izuku was also decidedly no longer fatherless, which was a plus.
With those two things in mind, Izuku did realise he wanted to change something in the way he presented himself.
“Dad, when we get to UA could you teach me how to tie my tie?”
His dad’s steps didn’t stutter, body too trained after over a decade of heroics, but his breathing sure did.
“I- yes, sure kid.”
Izuku decided to not mention how clearly choked up his dad’s voice was in that moment, only because his dad would be able to hear the huge grin in his own voice.
They walked in a little bubble of contentedness which Izuku almost popped when he nearly walked straight into a streetlight, only to be pulled in the other direction by his exasperated father.
“What happened to situational awareness Izuku? Might have to watch your potential a little closer, hm? Should I expel you?” His dad hummed, but it was way too soft for it to be taken as anything other than gentle ribbing. Him swinging their conjoined hands helped too.
Izuku put his free hand to his chest and gaped dramatically. “After everything we’ve been through? Father, surely you would never!”
Shota shot him a teasing smile. “Are you sure about that?”
Izuku leaned back dramatically. “I’ve been betrayed.”
His dad let out an amused huff. “Betrayed indeed.”
The shadow of the UA gate momentarily fell over them as they walked through it.
“You know the plan for this week, kid?”
Izuku nodded. “Yeah! Any sessions with a midterm I’ll drop by the staff room and just do some studying to refresh my knowledge of things I may have forgotten about with whoever’s free.”
“And what else?”
Izuku blinked. There was something else? Izuku wracked his brain. “Um… you mentioned that Nezu will talk to me about a temporary provisional license?”
“Yes, but not that.” He turned a stern look on Izuku, causing him to gulp. “Under no circumstances will you accept bribes from your classmates for test information. I know what you’re like with hero merch.”
Izuku looked away guiltily.
Shota’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”
Hands were suddenly being waved in denial. “No one! No one bribed me! I didn’t get my All Might stickers and no one got any info on the tests.”
Yes, it was oddly specific, and yes, Izuku sounded a little too sad about it, but his dad didn’t understand the absurd amount of willpower it took Izuku to say no to Mina’s second offer! Especially when she added a Best Jeanist sticker pack to the All Might ones.
His dad just sighed resignedly.
“Would it help if I promised you any action figure of your choosing in exchange for resisting any and all bribes?”
Izuku perked up considerably, and suddenly his dad’s midsection was being squeezed by a very happy green son. “You would do that?” He looked up at Shota with watery eyes.
Shota’s eyebrows raised in a sort of amused concern. “This has really been weighing on you hasn’t it?”
His watery eyes glimmered. “Yeah.”
Shota wrapped his arms around Izuku for a loose hug and placed a hand on top of his head to pat it. “Yeah, kid. I’ll sweeten the deal. For every lot of tests you resist a bribe for, I’ll take you on a trip to one of the bigger merch stores in the city.”
“...And we’ll buy something?”
His dad was resigned to the fact that now with two bedrooms to split his collection between, Izuku had plenty of plans to increase it anyway.
“And we’ll buy something.” He confirmed.
Izuku beamed and squeezed his dad’s midsection even harder, getting a “hurk!” sound out of his oxygen deprived father. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”
He only released his dad after the pats on his back became a tad desperate as the man’s need for air took over.
“You’re welcome, kid. Now, if you’re done trying to strangle me, let’s head over to the staff room.”
“Okay!”